Portable tobacco-press



I (No Model.)

I. A. MGKINLEY.

PORTABLE TOBACCO PRESS.

No. 401,448. Patented Ap'r. 16, 1889;

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UNITED STATES IRVING A. MCKINLEY, OF OIGEBC NEI-V YORK.

PORTABLE TOBACCO-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,448, dated April16, 1889.

Application filed April 12, 1888, Renewed January 31, 1889. Serial No.298,253. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRVING ALEXANDER MOKINLEY, of Cicero, in the countyof Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and ImproyedPortable Tobacco-Press, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to an improved portable tobacco-press, and has forits object to provide a press especially adapted for packingleaf-tobacco in boxes for shipment, which may be quickly applied to anddetached from the box or case.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a plan view of a box having my press applied. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section through the same 011 line no :11 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. at asection on line y 3 of Fig.

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide a presssimple in construction and operation, and of moderate cost, speciallyadapted for use by farmers for pressing tobacco as it is assorted. It iscustomary for the farmers to make four or more grades, and as a case isprovided for each grade the tobacco is pressed in each case alternately.When the present presses are applied to or removed from a case forapplication to another, a great deal of lifting and manipulation of theboxes or cases is necessary, greatly adding to the labor of marketingthe leaf. To overcome this disadvantage, I construct aboard, A, which Idesignate a bottom board, preferably rectangular-in shape, of a lengthgreater than the width of the box or case to be packed, and upon theupper face of said bottom board at the extremities a hook, or, a ring,snap, or equivalent device is attached. An upper board, 13, is alsoprovided, preferably of a length and general contour similar to thebottom board, which upper boa-rd has attached to each extremity a lengthof chain, D, adapted for attachment to the hook or ring of the bottomboard.

Near the ends of the upper board essentially U shapedmetal rests or footpieces 0 are adj ustably attached by set-screws O, or their equivalents,the purpose of which rests is to engage the edges of the box and preventtipping of the upper board. As aready means of attaching the rests,recesses are made in the side edges of the top board, which recesses arecovered by metal straps C the set-screws G passing through the strap, asshown in Fig. 4. A central threaded aperture is produced in the upperboard to receive a screw, E, which screw below the board is made to bearupon a press plate or follower, E, of a size adapted to the interior ofthe box or case, and at the upper end of the screw a hand wheel or bar,E is secured. Thus by placing a bottom board beneath each case in whichthe tobacco is to be pressed, the follower need only be inserted and thechain of the top board attached to the hook or eye of the bottom board,and the press is ready for operation. By this means the boxes or casesneed not be handled until fully packed and ready for transportation.

The rests need be used only when the box has been packed to a point nearthe top. Then they are pressed downward to an engagement with the sideedges of the box and secured. By this means the top board maybe elevatedabove the upper end of the box and at the same time be held fromtilting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an upper board provided with rests, a screwpassing through said upper board, and a follower engaging the lower endof said screw, of a bottom board and a detachable link-connectionbetween the ends of the said upper and lower boards, substantially asand for the purpose herein set forth.

The combination, with an upper board provided with adjustableessentially U- shaped rests, a screw passing centrally through saidboard, having a hand-hold at the upper end, and a plate or followerengaging the lower end of the screw, of a bottom board having eyesattached at the ends and achain secured to the ends of the upper boardand detachably engaged with said eyes, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

IRVING A. MCKINLEY.

"Witnesses:

- JOHN Mann,

HARRIETT V. WAY.

